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Poster:
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unclejohn52 |
Date:
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November 30, 2010 07:39:43am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: I think we need perspective? |
Yes, I agree with your assessment - these are all great tunes, they just got played to death. MAMU - over 600, El Paso - 388, Mexicali - 435, Big River - 397. None of them lend themselves to improvisation... and it feels like over time, they actually got bored playing them. (some desultory vocals from BW in the 80s) Earlier 70s versions are more entertaining for me. Really like Garcia pouring out notes on MAMA and El Paso, and Big River really builds to a great crescendo, especially with Keith on keys. There's just nothing distinctive that makes these tunes remarkable over time. Yep, we're a picky bunch.
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Poster:
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duckpond74 |
Date:
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November 30, 2010 11:42:11am |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: I think we need perspective? |
"... Big River - 397. None of them lend themselves to improvisation... "
I beg to differ here, offering the fantastic 6-16-74 Des Moines Eyes > Big River as an example of how they took the Big River groove and cooked it to perfection for several minutes, making that segue one of the most unusual, head-scratchin', hard dancin', musically inspired improvisations the band turned out - and it was tight ta' boot!
Overplayed, yes, but none of those cowboy songs mentioned were ever so dreaded as ending a wonderful show with the IMHO overplayed -to-a-cliche' One More Saturday Night. I saw the first two performances of Saturday Night and loved this new Bob tune - quirky guitar intro and a key change. But even by the late 70's, it's prime place as the almost obligatory second set closer or encore to so many shows i attended was dreaded each time after hearing those first 5 notes. It was this 'predictability' with the band that i loved for it's 'unpredictability' that turned me off on the tune. Maybe it was the onset of the 'Bobby as rock star' that drove those nails in . . . funny, though, i never felt that way about Sugar Magnolia even up to and including 7-2-95.
I guess over time, seeing Bob the quirky young singer with the Northern California accent turn into Bob the screamer with the 'I am a rock star (aren't I?) antics, was just a disappointment for me. And for the record, I do appreciate some of Bob's current vocals, as in Further doing Ripple in Denver earlier this year (3-6-10). Different Strokes . . .
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Poster:
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unclejohn52 |
Date:
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November 30, 2010 12:29:17pm |
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Forum:
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GratefulDead
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Subject:
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Re: I think we need perspective? |
Caught me with an excellent Big River - guilty of over-generalizing. But you have to admit, that's an exceptional one, although I think Big River usually cooked pretty nicely.
I think we're on the same page regarding predictability - I like all the cowboy tunes, but dislike hearing them so often, and when they're played to lackluster result. Even Sugar Mag/Sunshine Daydream gets old.
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